Here Are Your Winners: 2012 PlayStation.Blog Game of the Year Awards

The polls are closed and the votes have been tallied. Read on for the full list of PlayStation.Blog Game of the Year Awards winners as chosen by you, plus a few Editors’ Choice picks from the extended PlayStation.Blog team.

I want to thank each and every one of you for voting, debating, and commenting on our first annual awards! As predicted, the process wasn’t entirely without its hiccups, but in general I think it was a pretty good first attempt. That said, we absolutely want your feedback on next year’s awards, which will be bigger and better in many ways. Please provide your feedback in the comments – we’ll be referring to it in preparation for next year!

This one was a squeaker, but Ubisoft Montreal’s period epic inched past a strong showing by Gearbox Software’s well-received shooter. FIFA 13 Soccer landed the most write-in votes, but not enough to place in the winner’s circle.

Dishonored — “In my book, this was the smartest, most distinctive FPS of the year, shoehorning adult themes, nuanced characters and sophisticated gameplay mechanics into a wincingly visceral campaign. Oh, and it was great to see so many primary colors too! Sequel please!”

— Fred Dutton, Manager, EU PlayStation.Blog

Borderlands 2 — “Sequels don’t always manage to one-up their predecessors, but Borderlands 2 does just that — in nearly every conceivable way. From the vastly improved story, to the motley cast of characters, to the massive volume of guns, Gearbox has planted their foot firmly in the ground as one of this generation’s premier FPS developers.”

— Justin Massongill, US PlayStation.Blog

XCOM: Enemy Unknown — “This game scratched an itch I didn’t know I had, weaving tense turn-based firefights into a shockingly addictive management simulation. This is a refreshing and utterly fascinating game with a surprise and a delight around every corner. Highly recommended.”

Thatgamecompany’s wildly original opus was always the favorite to win this category, though Telltale Games’ heartbreaking series The Walking Dead nearly overtook it in the final hours of voting. Queasy Games’ Sound Shapes took the most write-in votes.

Journey — “I’m going with the obvious choice here. Nothing else I played this year drew me in like thatgamecompany’s Journey. Despite the lack of communication and identity involved, I felt closer to my co-op partners in Journey than in anything else I’ve played this year… maybe ever. It’s an experience I wish I could wipe from my memory, just so I could have it for the first time again.”

— Justin Massongill, US PlayStation.Blog

Journey — “I won’t be alone in singling out thatgamecompany’s bewitching quest here. Some complained that it was too brief, but its three hours of playtime will surely live longer in the memory than almost any other release this year. This is joyful, uplifting, must-play material. And, no, there’s no shame in admitting its final moments set your bottom lip aquiver.”

— Fred Dutton, EU PlayStation.Blog

The Walking Dead: Episodes 1 – 5 — “Telltale’s memorable series starts small but slowly builds to towering emotional heights, culminating in what may be the greatest gaming moment of the year. This is a prime example of the narrative potential of videogames — don’t you dare miss it.”

The closest category in this year’s awards nearly ended in a three-way tie between Gravity Rush, Persona 4: Golden, and UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss. But in a photo finish, Bend Studios claims the Platinum prize. The most popular write-in vote was for Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward, which is also available on PS Vita game card.

Gravity Rush — “Alternately careening and frolicing through the skies of Hekseville provided some of the most enjoyable, empowering moments in gaming this year for me. A lush world and loveable character wrapped around a set of mechanics that feels downright awesome in the palm of your hands.”

— Nick Suttner, PlayStation Blogcast co-host

Persona 4 Golden — “JRPGs have seen a relative lack of representation in this gaming generation. But now that Atlus has rebuilt one of PS2’s most highly regarded games for PS Vita, they’ve proven that a well-written, visually striking, character-driven RPG can still find an appreciative audience.”

— Justin Massongill, US PlayStation.Blog

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale — “A tough choice, but my voracious appetite for portable pugilism ultimately tipped the scales in favor of the All-Stars. SuperBot’s slavish attention to detail shines on the OLED screen and the characters feel intoxicatingly powerful, making this a perfect choice for mobile encounters.”

Frobisher Says! — “Not many games are silly. Yet Frobisher’s minigame madness is supremely silly in all the right ways, a ton of fun, kind of beautiful, and free, free, free as a bird. Whether I was finding flan, making a terrible din, or not smiling at pandas, it was some of the most fun I’ve had on PS Vita this year.”

— Nick Suttner, PlayStation Blogcast co-host

Sound Shapes — “Jonathan Mak’s unique approach to game design yields one of the biggest surprises of the year: A whimsical musical platformer that whisks you away on a magical tour of five imaginative worlds, leading inexorably to a momentous meeting with Beck.”

— Sid Shuman, US PlayStation.Blog

When Vikings Attack! — “Okay, maybe I’m biased, but I found When Vikings Attack!’s bonkers Britishness impossible to resist. If there was a more satisfying mechanic in gaming in 2013 than flinging a skip at a gang of Viking invaders, I certainly wasn’t privy to it. If you’re after a hidden gem to discover this Christmas, you could do a lot, lot worse.”

In a surprisingly tight race with several favorites jockeying for position, Super Crate Box’s accessible, addictive formula came out on top in the PS Mobile arena. The most popular write-in vote? Lemmings.

Rebel — “Super Crate Box is the easy choice, but with that well-trod I want to make sure that no one misses out on Rebel. A sort of anti-Crate Box that has you dodging falling weapons crates while turning enemies against each other, Rebel feels satisfying thanks to a brilliant reward loop of upgrades that turn time-waster into skillful navigator.”

— Nick Suttner, PlayStation Blogcast co-host

Super Crate Box — “This feels like the no-brainer of the group, though Bullion Blitz and Puzziball are definite gems. Simple but focused, Super Crate Box is one of those indefinable instant classics that you’ll understand the moment you lay hands on it. A sheer delight.”

— Sid Shuman, US PlayStation.Blog

Super Crate Box — “Believe it or not, I reckon I’ve played SCB more than any game in any category. Vlambeer’s bite-sized score-attack platformer was an ingenious confection, and nailed that just-one-more-game catchiness better than any other title this year.”

Another tight race, with Sixense’s Portal 2 expansion pack beating back a potent showing from PlayStation Move favorite Sorcery and close runners-up Wonderbook: Book of Spells and Sports Champions 2, while Okami HD claimed the most write-in votes.

Datura — “Probably the best example yet of how PS Move can open up new ways to interact. Navigating the dreamlike forests of Datura from a first-person perspective using PS Move brings a hypnotic surreal quality, as well as a more tactile interface. Really cool stuff.”

PixelJunk 4am — “Sure, it’s something of an acquired taste and plays best, as advertised, in the small hours after a night on the town, but Q-Game’s music plaything really got its hooks in me over the summer. If you like your digital entertainment arty, freeform and very, very bleepy, this one’s for you.”

Puppeteer — “A close call between this and BioShock, but my innate predisposition towards anything involving 2D visuals, running, and jumping won through. Japan Studios’ lovely platformer is a true feast for the senses, shot through with a delightfully dark sense of humor and A-grade character design. One to watch out for.”

— Fred Dutton, EU PlayStation.Blog

The Last of Us — “An agonizing decision, but (sorry BioShock Infinite) I’m putting my money on Naughty Dog. I’m drawn to the game’s suffocating atmosphere of hopelessness, but I’m also dying to learn more about the fragile relationship between innocent Ellie and world-weary Joel. Fingers crossed that Naughty Dog pulls off something extraordinary here.”

— Sid Shuman, US PlayStation.Blog

Sportsfriends — “If you’ve ever managed to catch one at a gaming event such as PAX, you know that Johann Sebastian Joust, Hokra, BaraBariBall and Super Pole Riders are already some of the best local multiplayer games EVER, even in their unreleased forms. Having all of them on PSN, upgraded and collected as Sportsfriends, is just too exciting for words. Get ready to Joust!”

Guacamelee! — “It’s been far too long since I got my hands on a unique exploration-based platformer. Guacamelee’s hyperactive art style and elbow-dropping personality promise to revitalize the genre popularized by games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.”

— Justin Massongill, US PlayStation.Blog

Soul Sacrifice — “Inafune’s dark fantasy promises to bring some serious emotional gravity to the co-op battlefields, such as tragic boss monsters that beg for mercy and an alarming array of life-or-death choices. I’m particularly drawn to the grim, almost grotesque art style.”

— Sid Shuman, US PlayStation.Blog

Tearaway — “Can’t wait. Expect wild innovation, free-wheeling creativity and charm in abundance. If you don’t covet a PS Vita now, just wait until this one lands on shelves.”

I am so disappointed that Persona 4 didn’t win the PS Vita category. I am, however, very happy to see that Tokyo Jungle was represented on the PSN list. It’s not the greatest game, but it’s a fun game with a very unique premise.

SweetReLeaf: “but a wise mom(or someone) once said “if you don’t have anything nice to say…”

Umm… you should be telling that to him. I agree with that philosophy (as my non-argumentative posts would prove), but when someone else violates that rule first, all deals are off. But you won’t tell him, will you… no, you’ll only harp on the guy who’s trying to shut down the trolls so that we all can have a better place to hang and communicate.

I’m nice to everyone until they disrespect me. After that, I’m in the clear to let them have it.

Bullies don’t back down when you ignore them. They only back off when you stand up to them. You have to draw a line somewhere. I’m not going to tolerate anyone who goes out of their way to ruin the fun for everyone else. After all, that’s exactly what good people with good intentions come here for. Fun.

And please, don’t respond with “well, two wrongs don’t make a right”. Sometimes fighting is necessary. Some things are worth fighting for.

@nolo451 It’s not wrong, per se, but does support my hypothesis that the majority of gamers have poor taste or are easily duped by hype and marketing. I, myself, having been duped before. My hope is to steer someone who might be lured by the hype and unwarranted praise away from buying it because it doesn’t deserve their money.

There’s no reason to get defensive because I’m critical of a game you or others might enjoy. I have a lot of criticisms of the game and they all have weight. I do not criticize a game without reason. It failed on many, many fronts and I think people should be informed of what they’re getting, or not getting in this case.

i voted for all the plat winners .and all of them won. i should get some discount for that. lol
anyway cant wait for killzone mercenary and last of us.
i dont get why people think P4 shouldve won best vita game. its a stupid RPGs port. not everyone is into these kinda of crap. i didnt buy it and i dont care about it. many would agree. cant wait for UC2 for vita.

@Qatsmasher: “It failed on many, many fronts and I think people should be informed of what they’re getting, or not getting in this case”

But unfortunately, you failed to mention what those shortcomings were. You just said fart, squeaker, smell, & garbage.

How about explaining what was wrong? I actually would like to know, as I’ve yet to play AC3.

I understand that you were trying to be sarcastic and funny, but you can’t steer people away from a bad game with that. People sense the sarcasm and won’t take your critique entirely seriously. It just sounds like an individual bad trip, rather than a collectively realized (and agreed upon) crapfest.

You know people aren’t going to stay away from a popular, heavily advertised game unless there’s a resounding mass of legitimate criticism… as with Big Mother Truckers, for example. :)

@109 I agree but I won’t say anything bad about journey as I have yet to play it Hoping it goes to a massive discount so I can try it.

Loved walking dead. That represents the only time I have cried at a video game. I showed the ending of it to my Mother when I was over her house and she got sniffles and she wasn’t even invested in the characters as I was.

I am looking forward to telltale’s new projects, TWD2 and I’m psyched to see what they do with KINGS QUEST, as it was the first video game I ever played and that was on a computer. It had a great story and it suits Telltales style of game.

people who think ac3 shouldn’t have won, are obviously shooter fans.either that or you all are comparing it too much with the other ac games. i’ve only played this one ac, and thats probably why it seems like a great stand-alone game to me.
and i don’t even know why you would complain about uncharted either. these are both very good games.

@PrimeroIncognito I didn’t go into details because it can be long winded and there is a character limit here. I’ll try to summarize.

•There is an embarassing amount of bugs for a game 3 years in development and supposedly pored over.

•I would say that Assassin’s Creed 3 has 2 core aesthetics: Narrative, which is poorly written and executed as well as terribly overwrought, and Fantasy; the feeling of being an assassin shaping the new world. Very few of the games mechanics or dynamics serve these aesthetics. Therein lies its problem. It is a bunch of mechanics with a skin over them instead of starting with the aesthetics and building the mechanics and dynamics around those.

Glad to see Uncharted win Vita GOTY, thought the gaming hipsters would net P4G the trophy.

Gotta disagree on AC3 though, you can’t be that glitchy and win anything, you are just encouraging this shoddy workmanshop. It should have been a great game, but it was so buggy and glitchy. They made what should have been fun, the crafting/selling, an exercise in poor interface.

Assassin’s Creed III? Ugh. The Ezio Trilogy includes some of the best games this console generation, but Assassin’s Creed III is just a disappointment all around: missions, story, characters, voice acting, tons of bugs… what a shame that it still managed to win Game of the Year. I have always supported the AC series, but I just cannot get behind AC3.

I’m glad that Persona 4 Golden did well. A little sad that it didn’t win highest honors, but the race was very close, so I’m happy enough. I’m definitely looking forward to Last of Us too.

Just did a little snooping and found out that my amazing wife got me the AC3 liberation’s Vita bundle for Christmas I’ve got a business trip to Costa Rica the first week of January and already bought escape plan (cause it’s on sale) and have gravity rush, golden abyss and sound shapes all ready to go…. should I also grab LBP Vita (I hear great things)?

A bit of a bummer that Rainbow Moon didnt make it this year. When it is released on vita next year will it be eligible for the award on vita next year? Hope so, its an amazing game that will unfortunately not get many awards due to other great games

It’s an all right list of winners. I haven’t played majority of the games so I can’t say really much against or for the winners, though I feel Far Cry 3 should of won Game of the Year or Borderlands 2 since they look better then AC3 in my opinion, but can’t argue when the players were allowed to vote. As for all the vita categories, I can’t say anything because I don’t even own a vita. The only thing I can say is that I’m disappointed that Souls Sacrifice didn’t win anything in Most Anticipated Vita Game.
Only thing I can say is that I agree with The Last of Us being Most Anticipated Game. Though I’m disappointed that Dark Souls 2 didn’t make it in with a bronze but I guess very few people here play the Souls series to understand it’s uniqueness (my opinion again).
Ah well, I’m not going to say the list is perfect but its all right.

I’m just going to say it, some of these look pretty fishy. These results are more fixed than the Miss Universe pageant. AC III beating out Borderlands 2? Yea, that seems legit. I’m sure it had nothing to do with AC III having those PS3-exclusive missions.

And where are Metal Gear Rising & Ground Zeroes, Castlevania LOS 2, DMC Devil May Cry, Tomb Rider, Behind Two Souls, The last Guardian etc etc…???????
I sold Assassin’s creed III away because is horrible! The best game?? Where do you live? On another planet? It sucks!
Anyway this is my opinion…

and there it is. Comment by drGiggles, I knew someone would say something about the poll being fixed or the like. Yes, they are trying to rig the poll, you are so right, it looks so fishy, we have been duped.

sarcasm, for those that actually think I would even agree with him.

Get it through your head, people voted for their favorite games and like it or not, those are the results.

Some of you people are too much. Do you want to know why xbox and nintendo seem to get more love than playstation? Because the Playstation community is filled with whiners and complainers that spend more time fighting among each other and criticising everything SONY does while blaming SONY for (insert random complaint here) than actually supporting and playing playstation games. Maybe if more “ps3 gamers” actually played fantastic games like Starhawk or PS All Stars, we wouldnt have to hear all the time how these great PS3 exclusives are “flops”. As far as 3rd party games go….AC3, FC3 and Borderlands 2 were all very good games and all deserved top honors. However….it blows my mind how you people vote COD as the #4 best PS3 game. XBOX gamers everywhere are laughing at you right now for voting for it. Absolutely ridiculous.

Killzone is by far the game I’m most anxious for! Unit 13 is a decent shooter but I want a legit FPS, Burning Skies was very terrible and I rightfully avoided Black ops Declassified when I found out that it was from the same developers as B-Skies.

@135
Yet more people on Xbox play CoD I’m pretty sure. So you think it would of gotten higher if this was held on one of their sites? Also the 360 community has plenty of it’s own whiners and complainers, I’ve ran into them more on 360 then PS3. So I think you should just be quiet and hold your tongue when making such a dumb comment. Both systems have their whiners and complainers, in equal shares.

@140 your quick defensiveness leads me to believe you were probably one of the people that voted for COD as best ps3 game of the year. If you think more xbox gamers complain about their product than ps3gamers, you need to do better research. Xbox gamers actually support and buy xbox games…no matter how terrible they are. Xbox gamers will defend kinect while ps3 gamers complain about ps move and whine about the ps vita being too expensive or needing a price drop on memory cards. And no matter how badly companies like activision screw over the ps3 community with xbox exclusive dlc and crappy online servers, you people continue supporting COD while other great ps3 exclusives like Starhawk, Socom and Wipeout HD get canceled and their studios get shut down when their only crime was actually putting ps3 gamers first. But that’s ok…because when Sony is no longer in the video game business due to lack of support, than all you whiners will really have something to complain about.

I have to say, I am surprised that Mass Effect 3 didn’t even make the list for GOTY. I know many people (not me) were upset with the ending and all but that whole game was outstanding regardless of your thoughts of how it ended. That’s sad.

I am surprised that P4G didn’t take Platinum as well. It’s an outstanding game but it goes to show that this generation can’t let go of the shooters.

AC3 GOTY?…definitely no…of course better than the fail TWD nomination but…AC3 is an amazing game but not GOTY….true GOTY is Darksiders 2 also B.O 2 in GOTY section?…say what?…no way.I agree with everything besides AC3 as GOTY and B.O 2 in the GOTY section…btw most anticipated TLoU of course…Puppeteer and Castlevania LoS 2.

Next year I want to see a category for best overall game of the year as well, not just a disc-based and download-based award.

I also want to see awards for PlayStation HOME. My most anticipated game of next year, even though it launched 9 days ago, is “Xi: Continuum” within PlayStation HOME. Yes, I’m anticipating this HOME game more than any disc-based game next year. Been enjoying it so far though the original was better this far in, but we’ll see if nDreams new ARPG will improve.

Personally I think Borderlands 2 should have gotten GOTY, I can’t say anything for ACIII because I haven’t played it. I do think, however, that Black Ops 2 should’ve been replaced with Dishonored, it deserved it more. Journey deserved GOTY for PSN only, I only played the demo for it, but it look amazing.

I don’t own a PS Vita so can’t say anything about those games, though they sound interesting, might need to get PS Vita in the future. And Personally Im looking forward to Bioshock Infinite a bit more then The Last of Us.

@ ChrisMichaels04 – Communities for anything will always have someone or multiple people who complain or whine about something. Example: You ChrisMichaels04, complaining because fans of Black Ops 2 got enough votes in for it to get in at bronze for PS3 game of the year.

Its just games, let people play and vote for the ones they want to, without bashing on them for it. And you go play and vote for the ones you want to.

Like many others, very disappointed with this list. Uncharted GA for Vita game of the year? Disappointed with almost every aspect of the game. Glitches, controls werent the greatest, plus what about all those over the top, high adrenaline moments that make Uncharted…. well… Uncharted? Worst game of the series. By far. P4G, Gravity Rush, All Stars, and VLR were all far better games. Sad VLR didnt at least get a bronze.

AC3 should not be at the top. No way. Not with games such as Dishonored, Borderlands 2, Far Cry 3, even the somewhat disappointing ME3.

Journey was a pretty clear winner to me. I love TWD to death, but TWD didnt get nominated for a Grammy. Seeing games like that make history helps persuade my vote. Was happy to see Tokyo Jungle get a nod with a bronze trophy.

So I didn’t vote because I haven’t played the majority of these titles so no one mind my input. I see alot of you mentioning the Last Gaurdian. Hell yeah people! Keep the hope alive. I believe in you to.